Time-setting device for watches



Aug. 15, 1961 w, RYAN TIME-SETTING DEVICE FOR WATCHES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 1, 1960 T M A Aug. 15, 1961 w. RYAN 2,995,888

TIME-SETTING DEVICE FOR WATCHES Filed Nov. 1, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I VENTOR.

mmay United States Patent 2,995,888 TIME-SETTING DEVICE FOR WATCHES William Ryan, 535 'Carondelet St., New Orleans, La. Filed Nov. -1, 1960, Ser. No. 66,546 8 Claims. (Cl. 58-80) This invention relates to the art of watch construction and particularly concerns a watch holder including a rotatable case for setting time.

According to the invention, the watch includes a stationary case holder having the hours marked thereon, and a case bodily rotatable in the holder and carrying the movement, dial, hands, and crystal. By rotating the case, one may set the time, and in each instance, a detent carried by the case engages in a complementary recess of the holder to lock the case in the selected position of rotary adjustment thereof.

The device is particularly adapted for use with selfwinding, watertight watches, since it eliminates the necessity of a winding and/ or setting stern and facilitates efficient sealing of the case against the admission of moisture, dust, etc.

One important object of the invention is to provide a watch designed for accurate setting of the time without necessity of rotating a setting or winding stem, it being well known that a stem used for this purpose tends to pull loose or operate faultily over a period of time.

Another object is to provide a Watch that is particularly useful for persons who may be regularly traveling from one time zone to another, such as seamen, airplane pilots, railroad train crews, etc., and who therefore must frequently reset their watches.

A further object is to provide a watch as stated having a relatively simple, thin, compact construction permitting manufacture at a comparatively low cost, the device nevertheless being adapted for rugged use with a minimum of operational difiiculties.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming; a material part of this disclosure:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a watch embodying the invention, with portions broken away to show internal construction.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2 -2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an exploded sectional view of components of the watch.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view similar to FIG. 1 illustrating the mode of operation of the invention.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the watch stop mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a case holder including an annular portion 18 having outwardly ex tending diametrally opposed plate portions 20 provided with spaced cars 22. These ears carry crossbars 24 adapted to receive loops of watch straps (not shown). The annular portion 18 has a cylindrical wall 27in which are equally circumferentially spaced recesses 28- located in a plane about midway between upper and lower surfaces of the annular body. A flange 26 extends radially inwardly of the wall 27 at the bottom of the annular portion 18.

Etched into or otherwise marked upon the top surface of annular body 18 are clock face numerals 30 each having a radial marking 32 extending inwardly therefrom to the edge of the opening of the body. This completes the construction of the stationary holder.

The watch includes a case 12 having a bottom circular plate 48 with an upwardly directed, internally threaded, peripheral flange 42. An annular body portion 44 of the case 12 has a depending, externally threaded, circumferential lip 46 engageable with the flange 42. An upwardly directed, inwardly curved lip 48 at the top of the body portion is formed with an annular groove 50. Radial markings or lines 52 are etched on the top surface of the lip 48.

Works 14 of the watch includes a flat disk-like movement 54 having an outwardly directed circumferential lip 56 clampably engaged by and between lip 46 and bottom plate 40. Axial shaft 58 of the movement has secured thereto a gear 60* meshing with a gear 62 which is in mesh with a toothed stop wheel 64, so that whenever the watch is running the gears 60, 62 and stop wheel 64 are rotated by the shaft 58.

In the case portion 44 is formed a radial opening 66 in which is radially shiftable a pin detent 68 adapted to seat in a selected one of the recesses 28. The detent slides through a washer 70 fixedly, sealably secured to the inner surface of body portion 44 and sealably connected at one end to the washer is a bellows 72 receiving the inner end of the detent. A disk 74 sealably secured to the outer end of the bellows bears slidably against the intermediate portion of a leaf spring 76 anchored at one end to the body portion and formed adjacent its other end with a short, longitudinal slot 78. The bellows provides a seal about the detent to prevent leakage of moisture about the detent into the case.

A dial 80 seats snugly in the body portion upon a collar 81 secured to shaft 58. The dial is formed with a peripheral series of twelve uniformly spaced radial indicia 82 registrable with the radial markings 32 on the holder 10 on engagement of detent 68 in a selected recess 28.

The watch includes an hour hand 84 and minute hand 86. It will be understood that as usual, the hour hand is mounted on shaft 58, which is hollow, and the minute hand is mounted on a shaft rotatable within and relative to shaft 58. A round convex crystal 16 seats in the groove 50.

In assembling the watch, the movement is seated in bottom plate '40 and body portion 44 is connected to the bottom plate. The dial is mounted on shaft 58, the hands are attached and the crystal 16 is snapped into its seat in groove 50 of case body 44. The case is then positioned in the holder, being rotatably supported on flange 26.

The recesses 28 alternate with the numerals 30 and markings 32 and when detent 68 seats in a recess, the indicia 82 are in registration with the markings 32- (see FIG. 1).

Assuming that it is desired to reset the watch, one ro tates the case as shown in FIG. 4 to move detent 68 out of the recess in which it was engaged. When the detent is so moved it is shifted radially inwardly of the case as shown in full lines in FIG. 4, and as a result biases the spring 76 to cause the toothed periphery of stop wheel 64 to move into slot 78. This holds the wheel against rotation, stops the gear wheels, and as a result, the shaft 58 is stopped, in turn stopping the works.

With the watch stopped, the detent is left in depressed position with the hands adjacent the position in which they are to be set. Then, when the time arrives that the watch will be accurately set on moving of the detent into an adjacent recess, the case is rotated to bring the detent to said next recess as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 4. When this is done, the spring disengages the stop wheel, and the watch is shaken to start it once again.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction herein disclosed and that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patcut is:

1. A watch comprising a case holder having an annular body with numerals designating hours circumferentially spaced thereon, said body having a cylindrical inner wall with a radially inwardly extending flange, a generally cylindrical case rotatably supported in the body and seated on said flange, means releasably interengaging the holder and case in selected positions to which the case is rotated, a watch movement removably disposed in the case, said movement having a member adapted to stop operation of the movement, and means for holding said member to stop operation of the movement when the case is partially turned between said selected positions.

2. A watch comprising a case holder having an annular body with numerals designating hours circumferentially spaced thereon, said body having a cylindrical inner wall with a radially inwardly extending flange, a generally cylindrical case rotatably supported in the body and seated on said flange, mutually interengaging detent means on the holder and case releasably holding the case in selected equally spaced circumferential positions to which the case is rotated, a watch movement disposed in the case, said movement having a member adapted to stop operation of the movement, and means for holding said member to stop operation of the movement when the case is partially turned between said selected positions.

3. A watch comprising a case holder having an annular body with numerals designating hours circumferentially spaced thereon, said body having a cylindrical in ner wall with a radially inwardly extending flange, a generally cylindrical case rotatably supported in the body and seated on said flange, mutually interengaging detent means on the holder and case releasably holding the case in selected equally spaced circumferential positions to which the case is rotated, a watch movement disposed in the case, said movement having a member adapted to stop operation of the movement, and means for holding said member to stop operation of the movement when the case is partially turned between said selected positions, said member being a wheel rotatably mounted and operatively arranged to rotate with an axial shaft of the movement, said means including a leaf spring carried by the case and movable by said detent means to engage said wheel to stop operation of the movement.

4. A watch comprising a case holder having an annular body with numerals designating hours circumferentially spaced thereon, said body having a cylindrical inner wall with a radially inwardly extending flange, a generally cylindrical case rotatably supported in the body and seated on said flange, mutually interengaging detent means on the holder and case releasably holding the case in selected equally spaced circumferential positions to which the case is rotated, a watch movement disposed in the case, said movement having a member adapted to stop operation of the movement, and means for holding said member to stop operation of the movement when the case is partially turned between said selected positions, said member being a wheel rotatably mounted and operatively arranged to rotate with an axial shaft of the movement, said means including a leaf spring carried by the case and movable by said detent means to engage said wheel to stop operation of the 4 movement, said movement carrying a dial having spaced circumferential markings registering with the numerals on said body when the case is in any of said selected positions.

5. A watch comprising a case holder having an annular body with numerals designating hours circumferentially spaced thereon, said body having a cylindrical inner wall with a radially inwardly extending flange, a generally cylindrical case rotatably supported in the body and seated on said flange, mutually interengaging detent means on the holder and case releasably holding the case in selected equally spaced circumferential positions to which the case is rotated, a watch movement disposed in the case, said movement having a member adapted to stop operation of the movement, means for holding said member to stop operation of the movement when the case is partially turned between said selected positions, said detent means comprising a movable pin carried by the case and extending radially outward thereof, and a plurality of equally spaced recesses in said cylindrical wall located between opposite ends of said body.

6. A watch comprising a case holder having an annular body with numerals designating hours circumferentially spaced thereon, said body having a cylindrical inner wall with a radially inwardly extending flange, a generally cylindrical case rotatably supported in the body and seated on said flange, mutually interengaging detent means on the holder and case releasably holding the case in selected equally spaced circumferential positions to which the case is rotated, a watch movement disposed in the case, said movement having a member adapted to stop operation of the movement, means for holding said member to stop operation of the movement when the case is partially turned between said selected positions, said detent means comprising a movable pin carried by the case and extending radially outward thereof, and a plurality of equally spaced recesses in said cylindrical wall located between opposite ends of said body, said pin being euclosed in a bellows sealed to the case.

7. A watch comprising a case holder having an annular body with numerals designating hours circumferentially spaced thereon, said body having a cylindrical inner wall with a radially inwardly extending flange, a generally cylindrical case rotatably supported in the body and seated on said flange, mutually interengaging detent means on the holder and case releasably holding the case in selected equally spaced circumferential positions to which the case is rotated, a watch movement disposed in the case, said movement having a member adapted to stop operation of the movement, and means for holding said member to stop operation of the movement when the case is partially turned between said selected positions, said member being a wheel rotatably mounted and operatively arranged to rotate with an axial shaft of the movement, said means including a leaf spring carried by the case and movable by said detent means to engage said wheel to stop operation of the movement, said detent means comprising a movable pin carried by the case and extending radially outward thereof, and a plurality of equally spaced recesses in said cylindrical wall located between opposite ends of the body.

8. A watch comprising a case holder having an annular body with numerals designating hours circumferentially spaced thereon, said body having a cylindrical inner wall with a radially inwardly extending flange, a generally cylindrical case rotatably supported in the body and seated on said flange, mutually interengaging detent means on the holder and case releasably holding the case in selected equally spaced circumferential positions to which the case is rotated, a watch movement disposed in the case, said movement having a member adapted to stop operation of the movement, and means for holding said member to stop operation of the movement when the case is partially turned between said selected positions, said member being a wheel rotatably mounted and operatively 6 arranged to rotate with an axial shaft of the movement, References Cited in the file of this patent said means including a leaf spring carried by the case and movable by said detent means to engage said wheel UNITED STATES PATENTS to stop operation of the movement, said detent means 298,313 Russell May 6, 1884 comprising a movable pin carried by the case and extend- 5 410,370 Moeckel Sept. 3, 1889 ing radially outward thereof, and a plurality of equally 2,462,839 Brown Mar. 1, 1949 spaced recesses in said cylindrical wall located between opposite ends of the body, a bellows having an inner FOREIGN PATENTS closed end abutting said leaf spring to move the spring 378,370 Great Britain Aug. 11, 1932 when the case is rotated, said leaf spring biasing said 1 994,896 "France Aug. 14, 1951 pin outwardly of the case against said cylindrical wall. 321,952 Switzerland July 15, 1957 

